Machine table insert



' 2,020.22: MACHINE TABLE msnm' HerbertE. Tautz, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to l'l'cillt'av Manufacturing Company, Application April s, 1935, serial No. 15.348

' y comms. (ci. 14sism UNITED STATES PATENT 'OI-'FICE tables.

More specifically it relates to an insert adapted to be used in the work receiving table of a machine tool,.particularly a woodworking tool, to surround the revolving cutter and illl the space usually provided foi` changing and adjusting the said tool, so as to forma surface which isa continuation of the table top.- c

The present invention has for its object the provision of an insert of this kind which has means for compensating for anyirregularities of alinement, wherebyv a definite adjustment may be made in the insert so that it will automatically'al.- ways assumea definite position with its top surface in proper alinement with the top surface of the table surrounding it'.

invention relates to inserts for machine More specifically the invention has for its ob- A ject the provision of adjustable means carried by the insert and acting as abutments which may be adjusted up or down as necessary to cooperate with the support for the insert in Aorder to aline the top of the insert correctly with the table top.

y 'scribed in the present specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a.perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of the top of a machine table with an insert being placed therein, v

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the insert shown in Fig. 1, on a largerscale, l l

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the insert, on the p1ane indicated by the unes-s of Fig. 2, but on a still larger scale,

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary vertical section of a modified form of adjustable abutment which can replace that disclosed in Fig. 3, arid Fig. 5 is a similar fragmentary vertical sectional view ofa still further modified form of adjustable abutment. In all the ilgures similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts.

Referring first toy Fig. iii-I represents they top of a machine table. here employed as a part of a motor-driven' circular saw, said top having an opening 2l therein of ample' size to give adequate access to the saw-blade 8, which is mounted on the arbor 4 by means of thenut 5j and washer 6. In

order to close this opening 2l when the saw is in use, a plate or insert 2 is provided, which will fit fairly closely within said opening, said insert preferably having a substantially nat top surface 24 and a peripheral downwardly extending flange 23,

the insert as shown being substantially parallet-A Several embodiments of the inventionare desided but having curved, preferably semi-circular, ends. "It will be understood, of course, that the shape and size of the insert do not form important features ofthe invention, but there are certain advantages in such formhaving the rounded 57 ends. I

In Fig'. 1 this insert 2 is being Put in place and held for this purpose by the ngers 1 of the op- 15 Heretofore it has been customary to support inserts ofthis nature by allowing them to rest upon ilxediianges or projections such as I3 (Fig.

3) formed inthe lower portion of the table top I,

and such construction is in fact still employed. in 20 accordance with the present invention for supporting the However, heretofore a fixed orintegral portion of the insert wasallowed to rest directly upon the said flanges or projections, whereby no adjustment of the insert in a ver- 2 5 tical direction was provided.

In accordance with the present invention, however, vertical adjustment is provided by the means illustrated in its preferred forni in Figs. Zand 3.

It will be seen that the lower surface of the insert 30 ls provided with a number of projections orlugs I2, extending downwardly'therefrom, and each of these lugs is'providedwith a screw-threaded bore,

. best shown at Il in Fig. 43. Preferably thefsaid bores I4 do not reach the surface 24-of the insert 35 screw III, provided with a lock nut I I which bears against the lower surface of the corresponding projection or lug I2. The head of this screw, that is, that end thereof which has the slot I5, is shown 40 in-Fig. 3 as resting on and. abutting against the upper surface 29 of the support I3, which is integral with or rigidly connected to the table top I.-

In Fig. 4a slightly nodined form of construction is shown wherein each lug I2 has a threaded 45 -bore I8 vto receive a screw I6 having itsy abut- -ment surface at its lower end 21 and a slot I'I at receive the set screw I9 which, like screw I6,vhas 55 its abutment surface 28 at its bottom. This screw, however, is of. the so-called headless or Allen type, wherein a polygonal bore is provided in lieu of a head or slot, for manipulation by means of a wrench having an end of corresponding polygonal configuration. In the present instance a hexagonal bore 2U is shown in the set screw I9 and in order to provide access to'said bore 20 for manipulating the screw an aperture of reduced size, indicated at 22, is formed in the top of the insert 2.

In operation, when the insert is first to be fitted to theparticular saw table with which it is tobe used, the user will adjust the ifour screws ID, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by inserting a screw driver in their slots I5 and turning each screw in or out the proper amount to cause the heads of y said screws to engage against the upper surface 29 of each of Vthe abutments fixed to the table top, and diagrammatically illustrated at I3. By placing a straight-edge across the table top it will be possible to determine when the surface 24 of the insert is properly alined with the plane 34 of the table top I, and when all four of. the screws ||J have been adjusted correctly to secure such proper alinement, the lock nuts II may be tightened to prevent disturbance of such adjustment due to vibration, or any other cause, when in use.

I In this way it is possible to manufacture the tables and inserts in'large quantities Without any definite attempts to secure alinement of their upper surfaces with one another and such alinement is subsequently obtained by appropriate adjustment of the four screws I0. Any inaccuracies in the lengths of the lugs I2 or in the levels of the top surfaces 29 of the 'fixed abutments I3 may thus readily be compensated by individual adjustment of the said screws. It will be noted also that any number of inserts may be adjusted to one table top so as to fit interchangeably therein and automatically aline properly, which is an advantage in that it permits the rapid interchange of inserts having various shapes of slots 8 therein.

It will be noticed also that inasmuch as the upper surface 24 of the insert is not pierced by the bore I4, it will not be possible for dust or chips to collect in any openings in the top of the insert and thus the workpiece cannot catch on any such projecting chips nor can any portion of the workpiece which extends or springs downwardly catch in such openings. 'I'his is an advantage over the forms shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and it is for this reason that the form illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 may be considered the preferred type.

The Fig. 4 type is similar in principleand operation to the form just described, but has a certain advantage in one sense, in that the head of the screw I5 is directed upwardly and the threaded bore I8 is open through the top surface 24 of the insert 2 so that it may be engaged directly by placing the end of a screw driver in the slot I1, thus permitting the adjustment of the insert while in place in the table insteadv of reduiring it to be removed for adjustment as in the Figs. 2 and 3 type.

above, and when the proper adjustment has been attained the lock nut on each screw I6 is tightened as in the other form, in order to maintain the proper adjusted position.

The head of, the screw I6 must, ofcourse, be maintained at a level not higher than the top surface 24 of the insert, so as to avoid any interference with the workpiece. While this form has the advantage of ease and rapidity of ad- It is, of course, much simplerv to adjust the insert when this can be done from justment, it has, of course, the disadvantage that it is possible for chips or projections of the workpiece to catch in the slot I1 or in the bore I8 itself, an objection which is-sometimes important, particularly when thin or springy workpieces 5 are being cut in the machine or when the pieces have projecting splinters which might spring into the hole |8vor the slot I1 and catch therein.

The Fig. 5 form has a certain advantage in this respect in that the hole 22 need not be the full 10 size of the screw-threaded bore 2|, as it need be only large enough to accommodate and permit rotation of the hexagonal end of the key or wrench which cooperates with the hexagonal bore 20 in the end of the set screw I9 to operate the 15 same.

This form has the further advantage that instead of using a screw driver, which may slip and mar the edges of the slot I'I of the Fig. 4 form, a positive non-slip engagement is provided and, 20 therefore, great power can be exerted in a set screw of this type by means of a suitable wrench, usually having an L-shaped or T-shaped handle, so that the screw may be made to t very tightly in the bore 2| and for this reason will not require 25 a lock nut. y

This form has the same advantage as the Fig.

4 form, of being adjustable from above the insert, and the further advantage of needing no lock nut. There is also aslight additional advantage 30 in that the size of the hole 22 is considerably less than that of the bore'2 I, or the bore I8 of, Fig. 4, thus making it less likely for a workpiece to catch in said hole, particularly as no upper slotted end of a screw such as of Fig. 4, and which, as al- 35 ready stated, may become battered and roughened by the screw driver bit, is present near the top surface 24, the socket or wrench-receiving end of the set screw I9 being well below the top 24 of the insert at all times. 40.

the table top I, while'the spring 3| secured by the screw 32, shown near the front of Fig. 2,

snaps against a suitable catch near the front 50' end of the opening 25 in the table, the pin 30 and spring 3| thus holding the insert 2 against accidental derangement. A further vertical pin 33, mounted in a lug 26, may also be provided, extending downward from the lower surface of 55 the insert 2 and engaging in a suitable guiding aperture in a portion such as I3 fixed to the table top, to further maintain the.insert 2 in proper position and prevent unintentional displacement thereof. These features, however, are already known and constitute no part of the present invention.

While four lugs I2 and a corresponding number of adjusting screws have been disclosed in the present drawings, it is obvious that more or less than this number may in certain casesbe found desirable and in certain cases even a single adjusting screw may be found sufficient- In order to provide for this in the claims, the term number" is used therein in its broader mathematical sense, to mean any positive integral number, inclusive of unity, so that the term number when used in the claims is, therefore, equivalent to the expression one or more, but does not necessarily mean a plurality. 75

further modifications besides those disclosed herein and, therefore, for an understanding of the invention reference'is to be had to the following claims Y I claim:

1. An insert for an apertured `machine tablev and the like, having a surface intended to be alined with the surface of the table, said insert .fitting into the aperture in vsaid table, said table fitting into the aperture in said table, said table having supporting means and said insert having a number of supports screw-threaded thereintol and cooperating with the supporting means, whereby the distance between the supporting means on the table and the upper surface ofthe insert may be yvaried by turning at least one support carried by the insert.

3. An insert for an apertured machine table and the like, having a surface intended to be -alined with the surface of the table, said insert vfitting into the aperture in said table, said table having supporting means and said insert having a number of lugs extending from its'lower-'sur face and having a number of supports screwthreaded into said lugs and cooperating with the supporting means, whereby the distance between the supporting means on the table and the upper surface of the insert may be varied by turning at least one support carried by the insert.

4. An insert for anape'rtured machine table and the like, having a surface intended to be alined with the surface of the table, said insert fitting into the aperture in said table, said table having supporting means and said insert having a number of lugs, extending from its lower surface and having threaded bores therein, which do not pierce the upper surface of the insert and a number of supports screw-threaded into` said bores and cooperating with the supporting means,

whereby the distance between the. supporting means on the table and the upper surface of the insert may be varied by turning at least one support carried by the insert.

5. An insert for an apertured machine table and the like, having a surfaceintended to be alined with the surface of the table, said insert fitting into the aperture in said table, said table having supporting means and said insert having a number of lugs, extending from its lowersurface and having threaded bores therein, which l do not pierce the upper surface |of the insert, a

number of supports screw-threaded into said bores and cooperating with the supporting means, whereby the distance between the supporting means on the table and the upper surface of they insert may be varied by turning at least one support carried by the insert, and locking means for retaining said support in its adjusted position.

6. An insert for an apertured machine table and the like, having a surface .intended to be alined with the sume of the table, said insert fitting into the aperture in said table, said table having supporting means and said insert having a number of lugs, extending from its ,lower sur-- face and having threaded bores therein, which 5.

pierce the upper surface of the insert, and a number of supports screw-threaded into said bores, eachsupport having an operating-tool-receiving head at its upper end, said supports cooperating with the supporting means, whereby. the distance between the supporting means. on'the table and the upper surface of the insert may be varied by turning at least one support carried by the insert, by means of its head, without removing the in. sert from the aperture., l5 7. An insert for an apertured machine` table and the like, having a surface intended to be alined with the surface of the table, said insert fitting into the aperture in'said table, said table having supporting means and said insert having 20 a number of lugs, extending from its lower surface and having threaded bores therein, which pierce the upper surface of the insert, a number of supports screw-threadedinto said bores, each support having an operatingatool-receiving head A, atits upper end, said supports cooperating with the supporting means, whereby the distance between the supporting means on the table and the upper surface of theinsert may be varied by turning at least one support carried by the insert, by means of its head, without removing the insert from the aperture and locking means for retaining said support in its adjusted position.

8. An insertfor an apertured machine table and the like, having a surface intended to be alined with the surface of the table, said insert fitting into the aperture in said table, said table having supporting means and said insert having a number of lugs, extending from its lower surface and having threaded bores therein, which 40 pierce the upper surface of the insert butl are of reduced diameter at said surface, and a number of supports screw-threaded into said bores, each support having an operating-tool-receiving head at its upper end, said supports cooperating with the supporting means, whereby thedistance be- Y tween the supporting means on the table and the upper surface of the insert may be varied by turning at least one support carried by the insert, by

means of its head without removing the insert from the aperture.

9. An insert for an apertured machine table and the like, having a surface .intended to be alined with the surface of the table, said, insert fitting into the aperture in said table, said table 55 having supporting means and said insert having a number of lugs, extending from its lower sur- Y face and having threaded bores therein, which pierce the upper surface of the insert but are of reduceddiameter at said surface, anda number 60 -of supports screw-threaded intofsaid bores, each support having an operating-tool-receiving head at its upper end, said supports cooperating with vthe supporting means, whereby the distance between'the supporting means on the table and the 05 upper surface of the insert may be varied by turning at least one support carried by the insert, by means o f its head without removing the insert from the aperture said screw threads fitting with suflicient tightness to retain said support in its adjusted position.

- HERBERT E. TAU'IZ. 

